Help With A Cycling Tank...

[sausagewinkle]

Hi all
this topic isn't for me, I'm actually asking for a friend of mine (because I don't no the answer to be honest)

The tank was set up on Saturday from scratch. its a 25 litre tank. 5 litres of water was from my tank that all my filter media had been cleaned in. (my 165 litre tank has been running about 1 year)
the other 20 litres was fresh water.

First of all is this the right thing to do....will there be good bacteria in the water from my filter media?

Also, if and when do water changes need to be done?

Thanks all

 

[Joshwainwright]

Does the tank have fish in it or is it going through a fishless cycle?

Also, the water will have some bacteria in it however it will be minimum compared to how much your filter has. The best bet would have been to give him some of your filter media.

Water changes aren't necessary if there aren't any fish in the tank but if there is, you should be doing 20% water changes at least once every two days.

 

[sausagewinkle]

Nope there are no fish in the tank.

How much media will be needed?

 

[Joshwainwright]

Only a little bit as the bacteria will multiply.

I assume he is adding household ammonia, dosing it up to 5ppm?

 

[anon02]

You may well have given your friend a start but the filter will still need to be cycled, preferably with household ammonia
If your friend intends to use fish to cycle the filter then he must be prepared to test and maybe change some water at least once a day, the test kit will tell him when he needs to change the water and how much

 

[Skins]

With donated filter media, the rule of thumb is not to remove more than a third of the mature filters media.

Keith.

 

[sausagewinkle]

From the replies.. is it better to have a fish in cycle?? rather than a fishless??
She isn't adding ammonia to the tank no, i thought that the filter media would have been enough to start it off (silly me)

 

[Joshwainwright]

It's better to do a fishless cycle as you can then have control of the ammonia levels and you don't have to do daily water changes. Also, there is no risk of fish being killed in a fishless cycle.

 

[sausagewinkle]

So then....
Fishless cycle, with ammonia added daily....testing the water frequently?


p.s sorry for being a pest...

 

[Joshwainwright]

Yes, you can read up on fishless cycling in the cycling resource centre.


http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=141944